Pocket-scale.



B. N. GILFILLAN.

POCKET SCALE.

APPLICATION rum) MAY 3, 1909.

- Patented June. 7, 1910.

NDREW a, GRAHAM co PhOTO-UTHOGRAPMERE WASHINGTON D c ESSING'ION N. GILFILLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POCKET-SCALE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June *7, 1910.

Application filed May 3, 1909. Serial No. 493,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ESSINGTON N. GIL- FILLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Scales, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in scales particularly adapted for use in weighing small articles and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved, simple and durable device of this character which may be readily and compactly folded whereby the same may be carried in the pocket and whereby all projecting parts will be protected to prevent injury to the parts or to the pocket.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby the body portion of the scales will constitute a casing or housing for the operative parts and into which casing or housing some of the parts of the scales may be readily folded when not in use.

A further object is to provide an improved handle for holding the scales when in use and which handle is foldable with respect to the body portion or casing to constitute a closure for the casing.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an im proved device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 1 showing the parts in full lines in a folded position and in dotted lines in an operative position or position for use. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and in the present exemplification of the invention the body portion or casing of the scales may be constructed of any desired or suitable material, preferably metal, and shaped to form spaced side walls 10, 11, which are connected by a front wall 12. The extremities of the casing thus formed are open and the extremities of the front wall 12 preferably terminate short of the extremities of the side walls 10 and 11.

The front wall 12 is provided with an aperture or opening 13 located at any desired point, preferably near the base of the casing when the latter is held in an upright position.

Projecting forwardly within the casing adjacent the upper extremity of the front wall 12 is a flange or partition 14 which terminates short of the rear edges of the side members 10 and 11 and is of a width to substantially fill the space between the side members. This flange or partition lt may be formed in any desired or suitable manner either as a continuation of the front wall 12 and the continuation is severed from the side members 10 and 11 and deflected forwardly as shown more clearly in Fig. 1 or may be formed of a separate piece of material inserted between the side members at the extremity of the wall 12 and secured against displacement in any desired or suitable manner. Mounted within the casing thus formed is a longitudinally adjustable or sliding frame comprising side members 15, 16, and an end member 17 connecting the side members along one edge thereof. The edge of the frame thus formed which is disposed opposite to the wall 17, is preferably open and the frame is of a width to substantially fill the space between the side members 10 and 11 of the main frame or casing. The slidable or adjustable frame is preferably of a length substantially equal to the distance between the flange or partition 14: and the lower edge of the main frame or casing when the latter is held in an upright position.

This sliding frame may be held against displacement with respect to the main frame or housing in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of a transverse pin or bolt 18 which is secured to the side walls 10, 11, in the main frame or casing and extends across the rear edges of the sides 15, 1(5, of the sliding frame. One of the sides of the sliding frame, preferably the side 15, is provided with an open recess 19 in the edge thereof intermediate its extremities to form shoulders 20, 21 and the transverse pin or bolt 18 is arranged to project into the recess 19 thus formed so that the shoulders 20, 21, will engage the same to limit the longitudinal movement of the sliding frame.

Arranged within the sliding frame is a suitable elastic member 22 such as a coil spring or the like, one extremity of which may be secured to the sliding frame in any suitable manner, preferably by means of a pin 28 which extends across the frame and is preferably secured to the sides thereof. The other extremity of the elastic member may be secured to the partition or flange l tin any desired or suitable manner, prefer ably by means of a fastening screw or bolt 24. This elastic member or spring 22 is adapted to normally hold the sliding frame within the main casing or housing so that one extremity thereof will stand in close proximity to and preferably engage the lower face of the flange or partition 1%, and the shoulder 20 is so located that when the extremity of the sliding frame is adjacent the partition or flange 14, it will engage the pin or projection 18.

Pivotally supported by the extremity of the sliding frame is a suitable suspension device 25, preferably in the form of a hook which is adapted to project beyond the lower edge of the main frame or housing when the latter is held in an upright position and through the open end thereof, as shown more clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

This suspension member 25 is adapted to be folded into the main casing or housing and also within the sliding frame as shown more clearly in full lines in Fig. 2, and the suspension device is of such a width that when folded into the frame, the outer edge thereof will terminate short of the outer edges of the walls 10, 11.

The end wall 17 of the sliding frame may be provided with suitable indicating marks or graduations 26 which may be designated by suitable characters and these marks and characters cooperate with an indicator 27, which is arranged on the wall 11 of the main casing or housing and the indicating marks and characters 26 are visible through the aperture or opening 13 in the wall 12 so that when an article is attached to the suspension member, the sliding frame will be moved longitudinally with respect to the main casing or housing against the tension of the elastic member 22 to cause the re spective marks or indications 26 to cooperate with the indicator 27 to designate the weight of the suspended article.

The shoulder 21 may be disposed at any desired position with relation to the extrem ity of the sliding casing according to the capacity of the scale, so that when the scale indicates the limit of its capacity the shoulder 21 will engage the pin or bolt 18 to prevent further movement of the frame in the same direction.

l/Vhen the object has been removed from the suspension member 25 the sliding frame will be retracted under the influence of the elastic member 22.

When the scale is not in use, the suspension member 25 may be folded into the casing and any suitable means may be provided for closing the casing to house the suspension member and to protect the operating parts. A suitable and eflicient means for accomplishing this purpose is preferably provided by making a portion of the wall or walls of said casing removable. This removable portion then constitutes a member 28, which is provided with deflected extremities 29, 30. According to the preferable embodiment, this member 28 is of a width to substantially fill the space between the edges of the side members l0, 11 of the main frame or casing and the deflected extremities 29, 30 are adapted to respectively project into the spaces between the extremities of the side members. The extremity 29 is pivoted to the respective extremities of the side members 10, 11, in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of a pivot pin 31 passing through the side members and the said extremity. The extremity of the member 28 is of a length substantially equal to the width of the members 10, 11, and the member 28 is of a length substantially equal to the length of the main housing or easing so that when the member 28 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the body portion thereof will enter the space between the side members 10 and 11 to form a closure for the casing or housing while the extremity 30 will form a closure for the open space at the bottom of the casing or housing when the latter is held in an upright position.

hen it is desired to use the scale the member 28 is moved about its pivot 31 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the suspension member 25 may also be moved to an operative position. lVhen in this position the member 28 will serve as a handle adapted to be grasped by the user and the deflected extremity 30 will serve as a means for preventing the scale from slipping through the hand of the operator when a weight is supported by the scale. lVhen not in use, the suspension member is first folded into the main frame or housing, after which the member or handle 28 may be closed or folded with respect to the housing to form a closure therefor. If desired, the extremity 80 may be extended so to engage the lower edge of the wall 12 of the housing so that the handle 28 may be frictionally held in a closed or folded position.

In order that the invention might be fully understood, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described, but

lVhat I claim is- 1. A pocket scale, comprising a casing,

provided with a removable Wall, and a Weighing scale housed within the casing, said scale including an article supporting member foldable into and out of the casing, said removable wall being adapted to serve as a handle for the casing.

2. A pocket scale comprising a casing, a weighing scale housed within the casing, said scale including an article supporting member foldable into and out of the casing, and a handle for the casing, said handle being foldable with respect to the casing and serving as a closure for the casing.

3. A pocket scale comprising a casing having a portion of its wall pivotally mounted, a weighing scale housed Within the casing, said scale including an article supporting member foldable into and out of the casing, and a handle for the casing, said handle being formed integrally with said pivotally mounted portion of the casing.

.4. A pocket scale comprising a casing, a weighing scale housed within the casing and having graduations, said casing being provided with an aperture through which the graduations are visible, said scale including an article support foldable into and out of the casing, and a closure for the casing, said closure comprising a removable wall 01" the casing pivotally mounted thereon.

A pocket scale comprising a casing, a weighing scale housed within the casing and having graduations, said casing being provided with an aperture through which the graduations are visible, said scale including an article support foldable into and out of the casing, and a closure for the casing, said closure also serving as a handle for support-- ing the casing.

6. In a pocket scale, the combination of a casing having an open side and ends, a weighing scale housed within the casing and including an article support adapted to project from the casing and throu h one of the open ends thereof, said support being toldable into the casing, and a handle for supporting the casing, said handle being toldable with respect to the casing to form a closure for the open side thereof, the extremities of the handle being deflected to form a closure for the open ends of the casing.

7 In a pocket scale, the combination of acasing having an open side and ends, a member movable within the casing, said member being provided with graduations and said casing being provided with an aperture in one wall through which the graduations are visible, elastic means disposed between the casing and the said member and against the tension of which the member is movable, an article support pivotally connected to the member and projecting beyond the casing, said support being foldable into the casing, and a closure for the casing.

8. In a pocket scale, the combination of a casing having an open side and ends, a member movable within the casing, said member being provided with graduations and said casing being provided with an aperture in one wall through which the graduations are Visible, elastic means disposed between the casing and the said member and against the tension of which the member is movable, an article support pivotally connected to the member and projecting beyond the casing, said support being foldable into .the casing, and a closure for the casing, said closure being adapted to be extended with respect to the casing to form a supporting handle for the casing.

9. In a pocket scale, the combination of a casing having an open side and ends, a member movable within the casing, said member and easing being provided with a cooperating indicator and graduations, an elastic member disposed between the member and casing and against the tension of which the said member is movable, an article support connected to the said member, said support being adapted to project beyond the casing and foldable into the casing, and a closure for the side and ends of the casing.

10. In a pocket scale, the combination of a casing having an open side and ends, a member movable within the casing, said member and casing being provided with a cooperating indicator and graduations, an elastic member disposed between the member and casing and against the tension of which the said member is movable, an article support connected to the said member, said support being adapted to project beyond the casing and toldable into the casing, a closure for the side and ends of the casing, and means tor limiting the movement of the said member.

11. In a pocket scale, the combination of a casing having an open side and ends, a member movable within the casing, said member and casing being provided with a cooperating indicator and graduations, an elastic member disposed between the member and casing and against the tension of which the said member is movable, an article support connected to the said member, said support being adapted to project beyond the casing and foldable into the casing, and a common closure for the side and ends of the casing, said closure serving as a handle for supporting the casing.

12. In a pocket scale, the combination of a casing having an open side and ends, a member movable within the casing, said member and casing being provided with a cooperating indicator and graduations, an elastic member disposed between the member and casing and against the tension of which the said member is movable, an article support connected to the said member, said support being adapted to project beyond the casing and foldable into the casing a closure for 1 two subscribing Witnesses, on this 17th day the side and ends of the cas ng, said closure of November A. D. 1908. being adapted to be extended to form a w T T l I handle, and means whereby the closure will Esblb GT0} GILFILLAN' 5 be frictionally held in a closed position. Witnesses: V

In testimony whereof I have signed my J. H. JOCI'IUM, J12,

name to this specification, in the presence of M. XV. CANTWELL. 

